A Little Pick Me Up
by God's Sense of Humor
Summary: After being shattered and forgotten by a certain albino, the berry attempts to continue his life as it was before. But his careful walls are suddenly crumbled by a blue-haired man. T for language and sexual references. IchiGrimm
1. Chapter 1

**I couldn't believe how well someone of the songs I found fit this story. Frankly, I'm amazed. This first one is Must Have Done Something Right by Relient K. Inspiration for this story came from that one, and then My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend by Relient K developed it. There are more songs used. I'll them put in order at the bottom. I suggest you listen to them.**

**IchiGrimm**

…

"Can I open my eyes now?" the orange-haired teen grumbled, blindly following the albino, a tanned hand grasped by a pale one. The ivory-skinned boy chuckled, his gold-on-black eyes flashing happily.

"Jus' a little father, Ichi," Shirosaki promised, gently pushing the berry into a chair and covering Ichigo's eyes as he tried to open them. He laughed quietly again. "Impatient. One more second. I'll tell you when."

The strawberry huffed, crossing him arms and slouching back, feeling very foolish with his eyes closed. The silver-haired teen grinned, taking a moment to enjoy his boyfriend's cuteness. Of course, Ichigo would be upset if he said that aloud, but it was true. The berry was adorable when he pouted.

Shiro shook himself, concentrating on the task at hand. He slid across a long bench, his slim fingers hovering over the piano keys. As he struck up the first few chords, Ichigo's eyelids snapped open, despite not being given the okay. The pale teen smiled at him, and then the godliest sound on the face of the Earth came from his mouth.

He began to sing.

_We should get jerseys, 'cause we make a good team._

_But yours would look better than mine, 'cause you're out of my league._

_And I know that it's so cliché_

_To tell you that everyday_

_I spend with you is a new best day of my life._

The strawberry watched in wonder, listen to the object of his affection sing. He vaguely recognized the song as _Must Have Done Something Right_ by Relient K. The orange-haired teen felt his breath whoosh away when Shiro glanced up at him, a gorgeous smirk gracing his face. _This_ is what the albino meant when he said he had a special anniversary present? Ichigo just sat in amazement, awestruck by his boyfriend's smooth, clear voice and the pure truth ringing out in every word he sang. As the last strains of the chorus faded and the piano fell silent, Shirosaki looked up at the berry again. Uncertainty flickered behind his inverted eyes as he spoke.

"Did you like it?" he asked cautious, eyed Ichigo's hanging jaw and wide eyes. The albino watched the orange head get up as if in a trace, their gazes locked. The strawberry came up behind Shiro, wrapping his arms around the slim figure and resting his head on his lover's shoulder.

"That was," Ichigo whispered, his warm breath brushing the silver-haired teen's ear, making him shiver. "The corniest, cheesiest, most beautiful present I've ever gotten. You're amazing, Shiro."

The pale boy let out a breath, a small smile curling his mouth when he felt orange locks tickle his cheeks as the berry buried his face in a marble-white neck. His brought a hand up to those bright tresses, running them through his fingers.

"You really liked it?" Shirosaki murmured, massaging Ichigo's scalp.

The orange head hummed in content against the ivory skin. "Absolutely. You know I love you, right?" His voice was flooded with raw emotion, and he placed a chaste kiss on the corner of the albino's lips.

Shiro couldn't help the smile that shone from his face. "I know. I love you too, Ichi."

…

Lies.

All of that, all that shit had been lies. Shiro had been lying to him the entire fucking time. He never _loved_ Ichigo. The berry doubted he ever even had any real feelings for him. Fucking bastard just _left_ him. Their entire relationship had been a LIE. What hurt the most was the false sincerity that always seemed to be projected from the albino's every word. It had been that very day, the day of their first anniversary that the pale teen had just packed up and left him. Without a note, without a trace. He'd tried calling and texting, but the only the response he ever got was a stoic, cryptic, "_It's better this way._"

Ichigo had refused to go into depression. Depression was for insecure, lonely people. He might have been somewhat solitary, but not insecure. Instead, he channeled his mixed-up, confused emotions as anger, which in turn was let out with various martial arts. Every punch and kick radiated the rage he felt towards the albino, the fury at his own weakness for believing the ruse, his resentment towards the goddamned lingering hope that Shiro would magically reappear and make everything alright.

The fighting never seemed to be enough, though. While it did help him calm and stay semi-sane, he couldn't express the other feelings, the sadness, the hurt, the pain. So he sang. Whenever he was alone and felt the emotions were going to overwhelm, he sang his heart out. Occasionally he would perform at bars or small clubs, if the money was needed. The berry was often approached by producers looking for the new big pop star. They were astonished by the authentic emotion in his voice. Every single one was turned down.

Obviously, his close friends had noticed the subtle changes that appeared after the incident. Ichigo became reserved and introvert – even more so than before. His eye didn't shine chestnut brown anymore. The light was gone from those chocolate orbs. They became muddy, empty depths that made you wonder what was at the bottom. He tried to avoid becoming close to anyone, fearing it would turn out the same as before. He drifted away from his friends and family, becoming distant and generally immersing himself in schoolwork and his part-time job at a mechanic's garage. The berry was always scowling, always unhappy.

It was one night at one of the local bars that Ichigo was sure his detached, carefully constructed world was going to crash down around him.

…

The quiet chatting and the dim lights of the bar gave an almost serene feeling to the place. It wasn't loud or raucous like most other taverns. The men here had been coming here for years. The bartender knew each and every name, and their preferences in alcohol. The interior was styled humbly, deep browns and reds decorating the walls in forms of paintings or curtains. Hushed blues music played from speakers hidden around the room, adding to the tranquil aura. The soft saxophone and whispered conversations paused when the host, a rather laid-back man with long wavy brown hair stepped up onto the small stage.

"Hey, gentlemen. How's it going tonight?" the man asked in a normal voice, having no need for a microphone. The crowd rumbled an indefinite answer; it could have been translated either way.

The man onstage chuckled quietly, his long pink kimono swishing as he paced to the opposite side of the smooth, wooden platform. "Very enthusiastic, I see. Well, I'll save you the chatter. We've got a short performance tonight. And he's from right here, our little town of Karakura. Come on out, Ichigo."

An orange-haired head popped out from a door next to the stage, a guitar case in hand. He took the steps slowly, finding no need to rush. The host pulled out a tall stool and placed it in the middle of the stage. As they passed each other, a few words were exchanged.

"Good luck, Ichi-kun."

"Thanks, Shunsui," the berry murmured, setting down his guitar case and resting a hand on the microphone that had been relocated to the stage. He looked out on the men assembled. They returned his gaze, waiting expectantly.

"Evening, guys," Ichigo said into the mic, raising a hand in salute. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm gonna be doing a couple short songs. This first one's a modern American one called 'Grenade'."

There was the sound of shuffling, and a few seconds later, the orange-haired teen reappeared on the stool, a battered-look acoustic guitar resting on his lap. He strummed a few chords before picking at the strings, creating a heart-breaking melody.

"_Easy come, easy go,_

_That's just how you live._

_Oh, take take take it all,_

_But you never give"._

The bar fell completely silent as the berry's anguished voice dominated the room with hushed tones.

"_Gave you all I had,_

_And you tossed in the trash,_

_You tossed it in the trash, you did._

_To give me all your love is all I ever ask,_

'_Cause what you don't understand,_

_Is I'd catch a grenade for you!"_

The teen's desolation spread throughout the room, affecting every man present. Each felt as if he could understand exactly what the strawberry was feeling. As the last notes of the song fell away, the bar remained silent. Ichigo raised his bowed head, a small, sad smile on his lips. Quiet applause pattered around the men. The orange head leaned into the mic again.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice. "This next one is American as well. It's called 'Sober'."

"_I don't wanna be the boy who laughs the loudest._

_Or the boy who never wants to be alone._

_I don't wanna be that call at four o'clock in the morning._

'_Cause I'm the only one you know in world that won't be home."_

The guitar hummed along with the berry's voice, almost as if it had a voice of its own. It sang, muted and sad, with solemn reverberations. The audience was once again captured by the raw emotion that spilled out with every syllable.

"_I don't wanna be the boy that has to feel the silence._

_The quiet scares me 'cause it screams the truth._

_Please don't we that we had that conversation._

_When I won't remember, save your breath, 'cause what's the use?_

The teen's eyelids slid shut of their own accord, his fingers needing nothing but muscle memory to continue. He imagined another presence with him, the presence of his ex-boyfriend. They could sing the song together, two voices in bittersweet harmony. Ichigo couldn't help but feel every song that fell from his lips was dedicated to Shiro. But he couldn't help himself. He kept singing.

"_Ah, a-ah, the night is calling._

_And it whispers to me softly,_

'_Come and play'."_

_Ah, a-ah, I am falling._

_And if I let myself go I'm the only one to blame!_

For the second time that night, the music faded, taking with it the breath of everyone present. Ichigo set down the used guitar, standing, and taking a small bow. "Thank you for listening to me tonight."

The orange-haired teen packed up his instrument, disappearing back through the side door, but not before catching the applause that followed him.

…

Several hours later, the strawberry could be found sitting at the counter of the very same bar, nursing the same beer he ordered some time ago. The tavern was nearly empty, Ichigo noticed, throwing his eyes around the dimly-lit room. A flash of color caught his gaze. Something bright blue seemed to glow from the other side of the building. It took a couple seconds for the orange head to realize it was hair. Someone over there had electric blue hair. As the berry watched the hair, the head it belonged to turned, seeming to sense eyes on it. Deep, cyan eyes caught chocolate ones, locking their gazes. A shiver passed down the orange-haired boy's spine, though he couldn't understand why.

"Oi, berry, you gonna sit there all night?"

A gruff voice broke his reverie. The bartender, a muscled, rather intimidating man with an eye patch glared at Ichigo with his good eye, rubbing a dirtied cloth along the inside of a glass.

"Ya gonna drink that beer an' leave or not?" the man muttered, speaking more to himself than the teen.

"I, um…" the strawberry started, slightly taken aback by his blunt comment.

A smooth baritone interrupted the conversation, coming from Ichigo's left. "Hey, cut him some slack, yeah? The kid's lookin' pretty down."

Chestnut eyes widened as they swiveled to catch blue hair and an aqua gaze. The bluenet grinned, holding out a large hand. "Name's Grimmjow. Nice ta meet ya."


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

**I would make excuses as to why this chapter is so late, but I have no legitimate ones. I'm just a very, very slow updater. (Procrastination.)**

**I realized I forgot to put the songs in the last chapter, so here they are:**

**Must Have Done Something Right – Relient K**

**Grenade – Bruno Mars**

**Sober – Pink**

**And the ones I used for inspiration were Kryptonite (Three Doors Down) and My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend (Relient K). That's it for now, and I hope you guys like this chapter. ^^**

...

"Name's Grimmjow. Nice ta meet ya."

A wide, slightly unnerving grin stretched the bluenet's mouth, exposing pearly white teeth. Ichigo took a moment to assess the man warily before answering.

"I'm Ichigo…" the berry said cautiously, eyeing ripped and bleached jeans paired with a nearly skintight T-shirt. A silver hoop pierced the stranger's bottom lip, glinting and begging for attention. Tribal tattoos peeked from his neckline. The orange head, despite his usual hesitation to judge, was on instant alert. He knew it was wrong to label a book by its cover, but anyone would be intimidated by the obvious muscles in the bluenet's arms and chest. The berry was simply being careful, he reasoned to himself. Didn't people always say to be wary of who you meet in bars?

"Hey, I don't bite, kid." The newly-named Grimmjow laughed, noticing the orange-head's guarded expression and the way his torso leaned away instinctively. Said berry snorted, reprimanding the cyan-eyed man for the nickname.

"My name is Ichigo, not 'kid'. Not Ichi, not berry, not carrot top. Ichigo," he muttered. Something was tugging on the edge of his mind. He felt like he had seen this man before.

"Hey, do you go to Karakura College?" the bluenet asked, voicing the very same question Ichigo had been about to ask.

"Yeah," the berry said carefully, still wary of the man. "I'm assuming you go there too?"

"Yep. You know, I think we have classes together. That's where I'd seen you before. I was tryin' ta figure that out." A smile spread across the blue-haired man's face as he faintly recognized the orange head, and he him.

Ichigo pulled his gaze away from those deep ocean blue orbs. "Alright, so we vaguely know each other. Great. Can I drink in peace now?"

A shoulder nudged his lightly. "C'mon kid, I'm just tryin' ta be nice. It's not somethin' I do often."

Ichigo opened his mouth to argue with the epithet, but was interrupted hastily.

"I just thought ya looked like ya needed a friend. Ya seemed kinda lonely," the bluenet said, leaning forward, his elbows on the counter. Aqua eyes cast a calculating sideways look at the orange head.

The berry felt his gaze caught once again by those bright blue eyes. They were almost mesmerizing…

Snap out of it, Ichigo, he scolded himself. You can't be gawking at a somewhat stranger. A rough-looking one at that.

"I'm not lonely," the teen huffed, bringing his gaze to glare at the banner on the other side of the bar counter. "I'm fine, thank you."

A wide grin split the blue-haired man's face once more. Ichigo flinched ever-so-slightly. There was sometime nearly feral about the way the man smiled. It was intimidating. Not that the berry would ever say so. That would earn him ultimate pansy-ness in the world of manly men.

"I know what you need. Some nice loud music and some strong alcohol. Let's go to a club. I know a good one down the street." Grimmjow slid off of his barstool, taking a step and motioning the orange-head should come with him. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow, somewhat taken aback by the man's forward behavior.

"You're asking me, a total stranger, to go with you, a total stranger, to a club. Out of the blue," the berry stated bluntly, not bothering to maintain his manners or restrain the sarcasm.

The bluenet mocked thoughtfulness for a second, then nodded and said, "Yeah."

Ichigo shook his head, remaining in firm disagreement. "No thanks."

"C'mon, berry, you know you wanna. You're too strung up. You need a night out."

Chocolate eyes narrowed at the nickname. "No, knock it off. I'm not –"

A large hand grasped the orange head's forearm. Aqua eyes locked onto chestnut ones, pleading. "It's not gonna kill ya. C'mon, what's one night?"

A sigh was heaved from the shorter man's chest. '_What's one night?' I guess he's right. Dad's been saying the same thing…_

_Flashback_

_A pencil furiously scribbles against paper as Ichigo completes his homework, stopped and thinking every once in a while. He continues writing, unaware that the door has begun to creak open. A man with a goat-like beard tip toes exaggeratedly into the room, hunched. He pauses right behind the oblivious berry, straightening up. The man takes a running start, jumps and bellows, "ICHIGOOOOOOOO!"_

_The teen nearly falls out of his seat, letting out a startled yell. He looks up just in time to see his insane father land on top of him in a wild tackle. They scuffle for a few second, then the older man springs up, hands on his hips. The disheveled teen glares up at a grinning Isshin, chocolate eyes thoroughly annoyed._

"_What the hell, Dad? I'm trying to do my homework. You do realize you could be arrested and thrown in jail for assault and child abuse."_

_His father laughs, ruffling his son's hair. The action earns him another dirty look. "Hahaha, my son! You have such a great sense of humor! But that aside, you should really get out more! You're always caved up in your room. You should go out, get drunk, meet a nice girl! Not necessarily in that order."_

_The berry fixes his hair disgruntledly, grumbling, "Dad, you know I'm gay. I'm not gonna go 'meet a nice girl'. I have work to do. Get out."_

_Isshin starts to cry something about his son's stubbornness before he is drop-kicked out of the room. Ichigo slams the door shut, sitting back at his desk with a sigh._

_End Flashback_

Letting his breath whoosh out again, Ichigo gave the blue-haired man a short glare before conceding. "Fine_." I'm only doing it for Dad. Not 'cause this guy asked_, he reasoned.

That animalistic grin split Grimmjow's face once again. "Let's go."

...

"Are you sure this is a decent place?" the orange-haired teen said uncertainly, eyeing a drunk man with a scraggly beard stumble around, mumbling something along the lines of, "I wonder where I parked my unicorn…"

The blue-haired man smirked, placing a hand on the younger one's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ichi. I'll protect ya from the big bad drunks."

The teen scowled, shaking off the tanned hand. "I'm fine. You're buying my drinks, though. This was your idea."

The bluenet let out a loud laugh. When his guffaws subsided, he grinned at Ichigo. "I like you. You've got your head on straight."

A miniscule blush tinted the berry's cheeks as he glanced away from Grimmjow, accidentally catching the eye of a rather voluptuous woman with strawberry blond hair. She winked seductively at him, batting her eyelashes. The teen's blush deepened, and he locked his gaze straight ahead of him again.

Once they were seated at the bar counter of the club, the bluenet tapped the counter to catch the bartender's attention. The blond man walked over, a piano-like grin stretching across his face.

"Hey, Grimmy. How've ya been?"

Grimmjow waved his hand nonchalantly. "Not bad. What about you, Shinji? You still dating that one-eyed bastard?"

The bartender chuckled, dragging a dirtied rag across the counter. "You kidding me? I broke up with him weeks ago. Nnoitra was too much of a dumbass for me."

The bluenet raised an eyebrow. "And you're not a dumbass?"

"Ah, shut up. Anyway, what'll ya have?"

"I'll get two whiskeys. That good, berry?" The teal-haired man turned to the orange-haired one, including him in the conversation for the first time.

Ichigo's eyebrows scrunched together as he contemplated his alcohol choices. He didn't really feel like getting drunk, but he also didn't want to look like a pussy. He settled on a beer. Beers were manly, right?

"Actually, I'll have a beer. Coors Light."

"Your date has good taste, Grimmjow." Shinji grinned, turning to retrieve a bottle from the rack behind him.

"I'm not his date!" the berry said indignantly, scowling at the chuckling bluenet.

"He's kiddin'," Grimmjow said, still smirking. "Chill, berry. You need to loosen up."

"Don't call me—"

He was interrupted be the bluenet turning and pointing something across the room. "Oi, check it out! Karaoke! You should do it."

Ichigo groaned. "No way in hell. I perform for cash. I do not randomly get up on stage in front of a bunch of drunks who might or might not throw their drinks at me."

A wicked gleam appeared in Grimmjow's aqua eyes. "Then I'll tell the drunks you're taking the last of the alcohol and running away with it. They'll slaughter you."

His comment earned him an angry glare, which then morphed into a sigh. "Fine. But I refuse to do it sober."

"Atta boy!" the bluenet cried happily, patting the disgruntled berry on the back.

He was going to regret this for sure.

...

"And stay out!"

Two men, both with obnoxiously colored hair, stumbled out onto the sidewalk, laughing hysterically. The door to the club slammed behind them, separating them from the angry host. The orange-haired man nearly tripped over his own feet, leaning on the taller blue-haired one to keep from face-planting.

"Hah… Did you see his face? That was hilarious!" the berry said, barely able to speak through his almost-insane giggles. They both sat on the cement, unable to take another step. "No hurdling people and tables… What kind of a rule is that? Hahaha… It was worth his expression."

The bluenet chuckled deeply, enjoying the orange head's giddiness. "It was funny, Ichigo, but not as funny as you're makin' it out to be. How drunk are you? You sounded pretty wasted by the time I got you up on stage."

The tangerine-haired teen giggled again, resting his head on Grimmjow's shoulder. The taller man stiffened slightly, but relaxed when he saw the sleepy grin on the younger's face.

"I'm not druuuuunk," the teen slurred, gazing up at cyan eyes. "I'm just feeling really…" His brow furrowed as his muddled mind searched for the right word. "Happy," he finished with satisfaction.

The aqua-haired man barked a disbelieving laugh, deciding the humor the berry. "Right. You're not piss-ass drunk. Whatcha say we get you home now? What's your address?"

Ichigo picked his head up, giving the bluenet a confused look. "My address? It's um… Whuz an address?"

Grimmjow shook his head, a small smirk curving his mouth. "Where you live. D'you remember it?"

"I dunnooooo," the orange head giggled, his head lolling back onto the other's shoulder. His eyes flickered shut, hiding clouded chestnut brown eyes.

The bluenet nudged the teen, making his eyelids flutter open again. "Got anyone you can call?"

"Noooo…" the orange head murmured sleepily, coming down from his alcohol high. He buried his nose in the taller man's neck, sleep tugging at his mind. The action made Grimmjow go stiff again, glancing down at orange hair.

The bluenet shook his head minutely, twitching his shoulder up to rouse the berry. "Oi. I'm not your mommy. Ya can't fall asleep on me."

The response was a barely audible grumble, and Ichigo frowned slightly.

Grimmjow sighed, slowly lifting the orange head's head off his shoulder and helping him stand. "C'mon, up you go. You can pass out when we get to my place."

The blue-haired man started walking, half-dragging half-carrying the groggy berry with him, around the corner and to his car. After depositing Ichigo in the passenger's side, the bluenet revved the engine and started out into the night.

Halfway through the drive, something woke the orange-haired teen up. He stirred, his eyes half-lidded as he eyed Grimmjow. The streetlights pulled lines of light and shadow across his face, hiding the orange head's face for the most part.

"Thanks for the night, Grimmjow… Had fun…" His voice trailed off as sleep claimed him again.

Teal eyes strayed from the road momentarily, watching the sleeping teen. A small smirk graced his lips, eyes switching back to the street. "Yeah, me too, berry. Me too."

...

Something soft and warm was pressed against Ichigo's face, his eyes shut. The berry rubbed his cheek against his pillow as he adjusted his position slightly. Pulling the covers more tightly around him, the orange-haired teen let himself drift in and out of consciousness. The sheets were tangled around his legs, cocooning his limbs tight to his body. He was completely and totally comfortable and decided he wasn't ever going to get out of bed.

He turned and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the bed sheets. Something suddenly struck the berry. The sense of smell is processed in the brain very near to where memories are stored. Because of this, the olfactory sense is often closely associated with memories, and vice versa; certain recollections are connected to a scent. People will often suddenly remember something from their childhood or past by a smell. Some scents become quite familiar, such as that of our home or the perfume or cologne of a parent. They become ones we would recognize anywhere. And Ichigo knew, in that moment, that the bed he was lying in definitely didn't smell like his.

He was in someone else's bed and had no idea how he got there.

...

**I don't like this chapter… Meh. K I'm sorry for the scientific babbling, but that had to be explained. I'm sure you can relate.**

**Go and look on You Tube for Stephen Lynch. Do it now and prepare to die laughing.**


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